


Cards & Coffee

by fineh



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 10:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13164837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fineh/pseuds/fineh
Summary: Chase is studying and for once Gert is unaware.In which she walks away.





	Cards & Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place somewhere between 1.02 and 1.05. Just my version of how things would go since the writers have been disappointing thus far in regards to Chase's characterization and Gert's development.

It’s been a long week and all Gert wants is something warm to drink and a quiet corner where she can relax. Ever since she discovered Dale and Stacey are murderers, it's been hard to let her guard down whenever they're around. It's also conflicting because how is it that these sometimes overly concerned people, who ask intrusive questions because they care, killed 15 kids?

Walking into the shop, there’s no line since it’s almost ten o’clock on a Friday and most people are out partying or whatever, so she places her order and stands to the side while the barista makes it. She looks around, there isn’t anyone she recognizes, just a couple of kids hunched over books. Probably college kids. One of them is holding flashcards and muttering to himself but since his back is to her, she doesn’t really know who it is.

After receiving her drink from a tired looking barista, she moves toward a small corner. Far and obstructed from everyone else. Sitting quietly, she sips and observes the few people who remain. Her eyes wander back to the guy with a broad back. It's clear he's frustrated by whatever he's studying. He keeps running his hands through his hair and tossing down colored flashcards. 

Gert smiles to herself, they seem to have the same taste in flash cards. Although, most of hers are shoved in Chase’s locker. She doubts he’ll ever use them and she doesn’t want them.

Closing her eyes, she leans back. The tea warms her and spreads that feel good buzz across her body. It balances it out everything that has been going on. She allows herself a moment of panic, something she hasn’t been able to do for Molly’s sake. All the worries she’s been trying to suppress surface. What happens if they get evidence to prove everything their parents are doing? What happens to her and Molly? She’s closer to 18 than Molly. Would they be able to stay together, or would they be separated? She forces herself to stop thinking, takes deep breaths. And concentrates on positive thoughts, something Karolina would probably have her do. Everything will be okay. It has to be.

She relaxes there with her eyes closed. How long she doesn’t know. What she does know is that she’s rudely startled by someone calling her name.

“Gert?” She blinks slowly, and Chase slowly materializes. He’s mid-stretch, his shirt riding up and revealing a stretch of tanned skin complete with a v-line and hard abdomen. Gert pinches herself, trying to figure out if she’s dreaming. Chase drops his arms, his hands landing heavily against his thighs before he moves to where she is. His shirt moves back in place and Gert can confirm she is indeed awake.

“Chase?” She looks around expecting Eiffel or one of his lacrosse buddies to pop up. “Um, what are you doing here?”

“Studying.” He motions to the pile of flashcards in front of him and an open Spanish book.

“Oh, cool.” Gert nods her head a couple of times unsure of what to say but wanting to get back to her non-sleep. “Well, I’ll just let you…”

“Want to sit with me?” He asks, pointing at his table, oblivious to Gert’s attempt to dismiss him.  Gert weighs her response. Her whole reason for coming here was to relax, sitting with Chase would be the exact opposite. She can’t really help how keyed up she gets around him. Stalling, she takes a sip of her tea and grimaces at how cold it is.

“I’ll buy you more tea,” He offers a smile beginning to bloom.

“Fine,” Gert never could say no to that dimpled smile. Picking up her bag she moves to where all his stuff lays strewn while he heads to the counter. She forces herself not to watch his ass as he walks away and instead picks up some cards. She looks back to where she was sitting, from this angle she can tell Chase was the frustrated kid with the flashcards she’d been observing.

Chase comes back and plops down into the seat across from her putting his feet up on the chair next to her. Teasingly she shoves them down, he responds by putting his boots back in front of her face.

“Stop,” She laughs softly batting at them again, “Your feet smell.”

Chase relents with a smirk, “Yeah, right.”

Chase and his boots have somehow managed to make her feel a little better but it’s still not enough to slow her racing heart. Needing to do something with her hands Gert begins to organize the cards. They’re worn and a little bent. His chicken scratch is mixed in with her wide letters, proof that Chase has been using them even though she expected the exact opposite. 

She’d drawn them up impulsively, remembering in elementary school Chase would always use flashcards to study for spelling quizzes. He’d walk around with a stack of cards even though he could have easily used one of his dad’s or Nico’s parent’s apps. Now, she shuffles them around, grouping them, genuinely surprised they're not sitting in Chase's wastebasket.

“Still struggling with Spanish?” She asks even though the answer is clearly in front of her.

“Yeah.” He runs a hand through his hair like she’d seen him do earlier. “It just doesn’t seem to click.”

"You have to relate the words to something you know, or like. Otherwise, it's just phrases and letters and you won't be able to remember shit."

“I haven’t tried that yet.”

Neither of them says anything about the fact that she'd offered to help him, but he’d stood her up.

“Stein!” The barista calls, and Chase gets up to get their drinks. As Chase walks back, Gert can’t help wondering if this is how things would have been had Chase showed up. Would she be able to offer honest advice, or would she be trying to be someone she wasn’t? She grimaces at how she’d all but thrown herself at him that day. Well, she muses, I learned my lesson. Eventually.

He places her tea on the table in front of her and she’s grateful because she can’t guarantee that she wouldn’t have dropped it. They sit in silence a while, Chase blows lightly at his coffee.

“Your grade isn’t horrible; a C is average Chase. It means you understand. You might not be able to hold a conversation with me or Molly, but you can recognize certain words.” Gert looks pensively out the window, “Besides, who knows how long our parents will be around, you don’t need to impress them.”

“It’s not about impressing them.” Chase tugs on his hair again before setting down his coffee. “It’s….” He gestures with his hands trying to convey a message that Gert can’t quite grasp. “It’s complicated.” Chase looks lost, his eyes pained, those eyes that have never been able to hide anything.

She thinks back to the whole reason he wanted a tutor. The conversation she overheard with Señor Walter. His dad. Victor Stein, a colossal dick if there ever was one.

“It’s self-preservation,” She whispers. Chase turns away, embarrassed, fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket and it’s all the confirmation she needs.

“Chase,” He refuses to look at her.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” His jaw is set which means his mind is made up. Chase is going to deal with whatever is going on at home by himself.

“Okay,” They leave it at that. Chase goes back to studying, muttering to himself with the occasional correction from Gert.

Eventually, Gert picks up her tea, grabbing her bag she stands up. “Well, this has been fun but I’m going to head home.”

“You’re leaving already?” Chase looks up surprised.

“It’s 11 o'clock Chase.”

“But tomorrow is Saturday.” He says it like that should explain it all.

Gert laughs, “Some of us like to sleep at normal times.” Not that she’ll sleep but she might as well try.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” He apologizes, jumping quickly to his feet. “I guess I got so used to going out so much on Friday’s that 11 pm feels early. Are you driving or using Lyft?”

Gert flashes her keys, “Driving, Lyft is too dangerous at night.” She steps away from him. “Well, see you around I guess.”

“Yeah, text me when you get home, so I know you’re safe.”

“Sure, whatever,” Gert smiles, “I’ll do that.” She takes another look at the mess in front of her and resists offering to help. Chase studied by himself, he’s trying, for whatever the reason might be, and she can’t bring herself to butt in just because she wants to spend time with him.

“If you need help, you should ask Molly. She’ll be happy to help you.”

“But not you.”

Gert shakes her head, “It was a one-”

“Time offer,” Chase finishes. “I’m really sorry.”

“I already forgave you.”

“Enough to have coffee with me?" He moves closer, almost anxiously, "No school work, I promise.”

Gert forces herself not to take another step back, instead she fidgets with the keys in her hand, “Sure," she finally answers, "I’ll have coffee with you.”

“Cool.” Chase gives her a quick hug, it lasts all of ten seconds, but it’s enough to engulf her with his scent and leave her dazed.

“Cool.”

Gert congratulates herself all the way to the car on that chill response.

**Author's Note:**

> find me here on [tumblr](http://finehs.tumblr.com)


End file.
